Reminiscing Ryan
by Summers-Wind
Summary: And sometimes, when we swore that it was the end of everything, we saw you there in a lively shirt and colorful hat, doing jazz squares.


Reminiscing Ryan

_Ryan,_

_You will always have a special place in our hearts._

"Do you remember last summer, when Ryan choreographed and director that number?" Gabriella asked, a small smile appearing on her pink, tired face, with salty eyes dried from tears to the point that she could cry no more.

"I remember," Chad finally responded.

Everyone else seemed to follow with nods, 'Yes'", or whatever form of agreement they could make.

_You are one of us, even though we spent years trying to convince ourselves otherwise. If only we would have been given the chance earlier._

"He was one of the greatest baseball players, _ever_, guys," Chad told the group.

Troy's face looked like he might have fallen, and gotten a beat up face.

"I never got to see him play..." Troy managed to get out of his lips, his words dense and full of agony.

Gabriella wrapped her arm around Troy's neck, and rested her head on his shoulder. Chad put his hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"I promised that I would," Troy agonized regretfully.

_You were there for me, when I need a guy's shoulder to lean on. You were like the brother I never had. I'm glad that people finally got to see the real you._

"I'm glad that we finally gave Ryan a chance," Gabriella told the group.

The group all nodded in agreement.

_Ryan, you had the best guys' singing voice that I have ever heard._

"His voice was always so pure when he sang," Kelsi commented. "It always came from his heart."

"It did," Gabriella agreed.

_You more than anyone knew that there was more to glamour than just looks. Some might call that purity, but I call that bravery._

"And he always saw beyond appearances. He more than anyone knew that there was more than the glitz of fame," Troy told the group.

_You knew what tasted sour in life and you knew what tasted sweet, but you always managed to sort them. You knew the difference, and that's all that really matters in the end._

"He was the one who accepted my cookies when Sharpay refused. He was the reason that Sharpay and I are together today," Zeke told the group, as he wiped the blood off a sleeping Sharpay forehead. Somehow, he made it not seem awkward.

"At least there's some good news," Taylor sighed, finally contributing to the conversation. "We need good news," Taylor commented, looking at the engagement rings on Zeke and Sharpay's hands.

_You were smarter than anyone ever gave you credit for._

"Her was really smart to. More than anyone ever gave him credit for, I wish that we had," Taylor admitted.

"Me too," Martha agreed.

You always saw past what some people rolled their eyes about.

_"He never seemed to really think that I was stupid, when everyone rolls their eyes at me. _

"And somehow he never truly insulted people. Maybe it was because he got what it was like to be an underdog," Jason told the group.

And for once, no one rolled their eyes at Jason's comment.

_He never once insulted me. Sure he appeared to be a jerk, but he never once sent a comment plummeting towards me._

"Yeah. And I remember when he used to shoot me sympathy glances when Sharpay was being super mean. Back when Sharpay acted like a rat," Kelsi added.

That made everyone's lips curve up. Their faces muscles aching every- so slightly, like they had not smiled in long time.

_We love you Ryan._

_More than you would ever live to know._

"Hey, I've got an idea," Troy suddenly spoke.

Everyone looked towards Troy curiously.

Troy took his cue to talk.

"Let's go over to the cemetery."

"W- we can't!" Chad automatically exclaimed.

"Yes, we can. We have to. We need to. We need this one last chance to tell Ryan goodbye," Troy explained.

"But Shar's sleeping!" Zeke exclaimed.

"We'll have to wake her up, then," Troy admitted. "But tomorrow we'll all be headed off to colleges or whatever in our own directions, and we might not see each other, again. Not necessarily like what happened to Ryan, but it'll probably be a really long time," Troy told 'The Gang', finally speaking Ryan's name.

Gabriella sighed, "Troy's right."

There was a long pause.

"He is," Chad agreed.

Everyone else seemed to fall into Troy's words, and agree.

"We can take my car," Chad offered.

Everyone knew that the tacky, old, peach colored mini- van was Chad's baby, regardless of its tackiness. But his parent's had given it to him as a graduation present, and any car was better than no car, so Chad accepted the gift.

_The color pink holds so many memories to you. Pink hats, pink shirts, pink volcano lava, my pink car, golf car, a color when 'Wildcat Red' mixes with 'Wildcat White' is born._

Everyone piled into the car, and soon arrived at the cemetery, un- piled, and made their ways to Ryan's grave.

Te sky was pitch black, and they bore no flashlights, but their feet lead the way easily enough.

There it was. A stone grave, sitting among thousands of others made by the same cold, grey, and lifeless stone. It was a bit bigger than most, but the Evans family insisted.

_These pink roses are for you. Just like the ones that you use to give me after every show that we were in._

Sharpay dropped a bouquet of slightly wilted pink roses that she had bought with HER money. Somehow the extravagant flower arrangements that had been at his funeral just didn't suit him. Sharpay liked these ones much better, and she knew that Ryan would, too. Somehow the twin telepathy thing worked, even in death.

_I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies, just for you._

Zeke set down a freshly baked batch of still- warm cookies.

_The baseball bat and glove that you hit that home- runner just three weeks ago with, and the glove of mine that you always seemed to stare at like there was something waaaay wrong with it._

Chad smiled a bit at that thought.

Chad put down an old baseball mitt and bat signed by the entire country club staff, who knew of Ryan's love and ability for baseball.

_Troy gave me this necklace, but I think that you deserve it more: from one Wildcat to the next._

Gabriella set down Troy's "T" necklace, and then kneeled down close to the ground.

"A true Wildcat," Gabriella whispered to the ground, hoping, and somehow knowing that Ryan had heard her. Somehow.

Everyone looked at Ryan's grave.

Unable to cry, but unable not to feel. Only able to stare, but not able to look away.

And that's when they felt it.

It wasn't a feeling, an emotion, or anything like that.

_Oh, Ryan, what have you done?_

None of these young people had ever tasted anything sweeter.

_Freedom._

The freedom to let go, when all you wanted to do was hold on. But the freedom to let go, when holding on just hurt too much.

No words were spoken, and even their breaths were lost amongst the chilly wind of the September night.

Finally, Chad spoke up.

"Let's go, guys," he said simply, but with certain forcefulness in his voice that no one dare disobey.

_There's nothing left here but you grace, Ryan. A piece of stone on top of dirt, under which lies your coffin. _

Zeke wrapped his arm around Sharpay's waist, for comfort, but also to help keep her unstable legs from collapsing under her body.

And as Chad's car drove off into the distance, the sun was just peaking up from behind the New Mexico Mountains.

_And every time any one of us looks out into the audience, or the crowds, we know that we'll always see you there, cheering for us, our biggest fan._

"There... there was a man. A blonde man... in... a... a pink hat... in... in the audience, today. Just now!" Troy exclaimed.

Troy's teammate looked at him like he was crazy.

"Nobody was there, Bolton," the guy snapped.

Chad patted Troy solemnly on the back, "Yes, yes, there was. I saw him too."

_And sometimes, when we swore that it was the end of everything, we saw you there in a lively shirt and colorful hat, doing jazz squares._

Sharpay danced across the stage singing her solo from _Bye Bye Birdie_ and turned her head to the side of her, only to see a small, timid, blonde boy doing jazzsquares beside her.

Then, later, her fiancé, as they could never bring themselves to marry after Ryan passed, would come over, and give her a hug.

"He... he was there... dancing with me..." Sharpay stuttered in disbelief.

"I know, I saw him too," Zeke told Sharpay, as little girl with brown eyes, curly locks of brown hair, and sticky fingers would run up to Sharpay, and hug her, covering Sharpay's gorgeous costume with ice cream.

But Sharpay didn't care. She never did anymore.

_And all we ever have to do is think of you, there with us, and all our fears will vanish like magic. Like the magic that you brought to our lives._

"We need to stop grieving," Troy said, upon reunion of old group of friends. "Ryan was a great guy and friend, but he wouldn't want us sitting here like last year's fashion in LA."

And everyone nodded, knowing that Troy was right.

"Goodbye," Sharpay whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Time to live again."

_Always, and forever,_

_"The Gang" (Gabriella, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Jason, Zeke, Sharpay, and Martha)_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

**A/ N: Well, this was written almost immediately after watching "HSM2". The idea sparked to me, after thinking all about the changes in Ryan's character, and realizing the true person in him. I hope that you enjoyed this fic, and I hope that it didn't make you cry too much! PLEEEASE REVIEW IF YOU'VE GOT TIME! REVIEWS ARE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED! Thanks!**

**- Katie AKA Lil Spazzy Q.**


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